Devices used for cutting carpet, vinyl flooring, and other floor covering materials are known. These devices can be as simple as a rack for supporting a roll of floor covering material adjacent a cutting surface such as a floor or table top or may be complex machines. In the simple case where a rack and cutting surface are used the floor covering material is dispensed from the rack onto a cutting surface where it is cut by an individual with a knife. After cutting the floor covering material is manually rerolled. One disadvantage of this method is that large areas are required to lay out the floor covering material during cutting. A second disadvantage is that if the floor covering material is cut on a floor the floor covering material can be damaged by contact with materials on the floor.
More complex apparatus for performing this task are also known. Many include a cradle or rack for supporting the roll of floor covering material to be dispensed, a table top across which the floor covering material is drawn, and a means of automatically rerolling the floor covering material. These components are generally mounted on a frame to keep them raised above the floor at an appropriate height for working. A knife blade arranged for traveling across the table top is usually employed to cut the floor covering material. The knife blade is usually mounted at a fixed angle to the table and moves along a slot running laterally across the table through which the knife blade projects. Various means may be utilized to propelled the knife blade which may include a chain drive mechanism or an air or hydraulic cylinder mechanism. In these devices the cutter is often stopped when it reaches either of the ends of the slot by contacting a stop which prevents further movement along the slot.
Devices of this type using a chain driven mechanism have the problem that they often cut in only one direction, while hydraulic and air driven systems are expensive and costly to maintain. These systems also tend to be excessively noisy. This is caused in part by the impact of the cutter on the stop.
A further problem of existing cutting mechanisms is that the knife blade or blades used are usually mounted at a fixed angle to the table top and as a result tear through the floor covering material as they cut. This can result in a rough edge along the length of the cut instead of a relatively smooth one giving the floor covering material an unfinished look.